Pembroke Polar Bear Dip 2019

This marked the sixth year for the Pembroke Polar Bear Dip in support of the Pembroke and Laurentian Valley Handi-bus. Close to 20 adventurous individuals braved the elements and plunged into the ice Ottawa River at the Pembroke Marina Feb. 3. The event was part of Pembroke's annual SnoSpree winter carnival festivities.

Gregory Wetterer was the top fundraiser in the Polar Bear Dip in support of the Pembroke and Laurentian Valley Handi-Bus, held Feb. 3 at the Pembroke Marina as part of SnoSpree. He raised $2,570.Tina Peplinskie / Observer and News

Jessie Kraft, a first-time participant in the Polar Bear Dip, opted for a cannon ball at this year's fundraising event.Tina Peplinskie / Observer and News

Darren Irvine, a five-time participant in the Pembroke Polar Bear Dip, launches himself into the frigid water of the Ottawa River Feb. 3.Tina Peplinskie / Observer and News

Alexandra Woolam, 13, a student at Bishop Smith Catholic High School took part in her first Polar Bear Dip, helping to raise money for the Pembroke and Laurentian Valley Handi-Bus.Tina Peplinskie / Observer and News

Merrill Rosenow, the final jumper in the annual Pembroke Polar Bear Dip, fives the OK sign as he takes his time getting out of the frigid water of the Ottawa River. This was the second time he has taken the icy plunge.Tina Peplinskie / Observer and News

Close to 20 brave souls jumped in the Ottawa River Sunday morning, all in the name of raising funds for a great community cause.

This was the sixth year for the Polar Bear Dip in support of the Pembroke and Laurentian Valley Handi-Bus. The event was also part of the final day of Pembroke’s SnoSpree winter carnival. The 19 jumpers raised nearly $5,500 with the top fundraiser, Gregory Wetterer collecting a whopping $2,750 himself. The funds will go towards purchasing a new bus, which has already been ordered and is close to arriving. This is the signature fundraising event for the organization, which also receives operating grants from the City of Pembroke and Township of Laurentian Valley.

The Handi-Bus has been providing safe and effective transportation services to some of the most vulnerable members of the community for more than 30 years. As he welcomed participants and spectators Ron Gervais, chairman of the Friends of the Disabled Inc. board of directors, the organization behind the Handi-Bus, noted in 2018 the handi-bus transported more than 9,035 people for approximately 61,350 kilometres.

“The participants’s craziness makes it possible for our buses to stay on the road,” he said.

Gervais also noted the event requires a lot of work behind the scenes and on the day of the event to ensure the safety of the participants. The City of Pembroke punched the hole in the ice, cutting out thick blocks of ice, the Pembroke Fire Department was on hand with ropes and safety belts for the jumpers, diver Bob Hackett was in the water to assist participants and members of the County of Renfrew Paramedic Service provided blankets for the jumpers when they emerged from the frigid waters. There were also handi-bus board members on hand to ensure everything ran smoothly and Elijah McKeown, recreation programmer with the city, served as MC for the event, sharing details about the participants before the took the plunge.